Railway-crossing.



. PATENTED JAN. 6, 190a. A. H. LEWIS, A. G. QUIMBY,-G. If. HARLOW & J. c. SHIELDS.

I No. 717,692.

RAILWAY cRussms. AYPLIGAT ION P ILED 001 10 1902 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

ALBERT n. LEWIS, ALBERT G.QUI1\IBY, CHARLES T. HARLOW, AND JAMES C. SHIELDS, E UHRICHSVILLE, OHIO.

RAILWAY-CROSSING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,692, dated January 6, 1903.

Application filed October 10, 1902. Serial No. 126,738. (No model.)

main track and adapted in one position to' effect a safe connection between the rails of tracks disposed at opposite sides of the continuous or unbroken main track and in another position to leave the said continuous.

main track entirely clear and free from ob- 2o struction.

Another object is to provide in a crossing of the kind stated means whereby the movable rails may be moved with but a minimum amount of efiort and without noise.

Another object is to provide means for looking the movable rails in their position across the continuous or unbroken main track with a view of rendering the crossing perfectly safe.

With the foregoing in mind the invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of ourimproved crossing with the movable rails in the position they occupy when the main track is clear; Fig. 2, a section taken in the plane indicated by the broken line 2 2 of Fig; 1; Fig. 3, a detail plan view with the movable rails in position to eifect connection between the rails of the tracks at opposite sides of the continuous or unbroken main track; Figs. 4 and 5, transverse'sections taken in the planes indioated bythe broken lines 4 4: and 5 5, respectively, of Fig. 8; and Figs. 6 and 7 vertical sections taken on the broken lines 6 6 and 7 *7, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the several views of the drawings, referring to which- A A are the rails of the continuous or unbroken main track, B B rails of a track situated at one side of the main track, and B B rails of a track situated at the opposite side of the main track. lhe ends of the rails B and B are bent outwardly or flared, as indicated by a, and are disposed above the rails A, preferably so that their bases rest in the same plane as the upper sides of the heads of said rails A, as in Fig. 2.

C O are bars or rails which are disposed between and in the same plane as the main-track rails A and have for their purpose to assist in supporting the movable rails (indicated by D) when thelatter are in the position shown in Fig. 3. Said bars or rails C have abutments in on their upper sides adjacent to their ends and also have their ends beveled, as indicated by c, this latterin order to lessen the 7o liability of their catching against depending appurtenances on cars of passing trains.

O is an antifriction-roller arranged between one of the main-track rails A and the rails B and having its ends tapered or beveled, as in- 7 5 dicated by a, for a purpose presently described; O a similar roller arranged between the other rail A and the rails B; 0 a similar roller arranged between the bars or rails 'C; C (1, similar rollers extending trans- 8o versely between the rails B, and C an antifriction-roller of even diameter throughout its length arranged between'the rails B at a point about midway between the rollers O and C All of the said antifriction-rollers are preferably arranged with their uppermost portions disposed in aplane slightly above that of the upper sides of the rails A and the bars or rails G, as shown in Fig. 2, forapurpose which will presently appear.

The rails D, which are arranged to move on the antifriction-rollers, have the outer sides of their ends beveled, as indicatedby d, in conformity with the flare or bevel of the rails B and B and are provided at their inner sides 5 with bifurcated arms e. Pivotally connected at their outer ends to the said arms eare levers E, the inner ends of which are pivotally connected together and to bars or straps E, arranged longitudinally between the rails D. rco

F F are curved guides or spreader-s which are arranged between the rails B in a position to engage the forward ends of the rails D when said rails D are moved across the rails of the main track. The outer sides of these guides or spreaders are preferably undercut, as indicated by f in Fig. 2, so as to enable the bases of the rails D to assume positions below said sides.

G is a stop arranged between the guides or spreaders F and in the path of the bars or straps E, so as to engage the forward ends of said bars or straps when the rails D are moved across the main-track rails.

H H are arms connected to and extending laterally inward from the rails D adjacent to the rear ends thereof; I, a sheave located between the rails B in rear of the rails D; J, a sheave located between one of the rails A and the rails B; K L, sheaves located at one side of the track formed by the railsB; M, a tower or other suitable support located at the same side of said track; N N, sheaves located below the tower; P, a drum fixed on a shaft 9,

and arranged between the sheaves N; Q, a cable wound around and connected to the drum and passed around one of the sheaves N, the sheave K, and the sheave I; Q, a cable wound around and connected to the drum and passed around the other sheave N and the sheaves L and J; R R, links connecting said cables and the arms H; S, a sprocketgear fixed with respect to the drum; T, a shaft journaled in suitable bearings on the tower and bearing a sprocket-gear U and a crank V, and W a sprocket-belt connecting the gears S and U.

The operation of the construction thus far described is as follows: When the rails D are disposed between the rails B at the left of the main track and it is desired to effect connection between the rails B and B at opposite sides ofv the main track, so as to enable a train to cross the latter, the shaft T is turned to draw the cable Q in the direction indicated by arrow No. 1 in Fig. 1 and permitthe cable Q to move in the direction indicated by arrow No. 1. In consequence of this it will be seen that the rails D will be moved on the antifriction-rollers end wise toward the right until their beveled ends rest between the flared ends of the rails B B at opposite sides of the main track, and it will also be seenthat when the forward ends of the rails D engage the guides or spreaders F and the bars E engage the stop Gin the order named the rails D will be forced outwardly and snug against the said flared ends of the rails B and 15'. The distance between the forward ends of the bars E and the stop G and thedistance between the forward ends of the rails D and the guides or Spreaders F are each of a less length than the distance between the sheave J and the arms H. Consequently it will be observed that when the bars E engage the stop G and the rails D engage the guides or spreaders F there will be a slack portion of cable Q between the sheave J and the links R. This slack portion of cable Q will permit the momentum gained by the bars E and rails D incident to their movement across the main track to move the rails D outwardly when the bars E engage the stop G and the rails D engage the guides or spreadersF. When it is desired to render the main track clear and free from obstruction, the cable Q is'drawn in the direction opposite to that indicated by arrow No. 2, when the rails D will be drawn inwardly or toward each other and endwise and returned to the position between the rails B at the left of the main track. In virtue of the antifriction-rollers O, 0 O and 0 being disposed slightly above the rails A and O and having the tapered or beveled ends a it will be observed that incident to their forward and rearward endwise movements the rails D bear on the antifriction-rollers, and hence may be moved very easily and without noise; also, that there is little'or no friction between the rails D and the antifriction-rollers when the said rails are moved laterally outward at the completion of their forward movement and laterally inward atthe commencement of their rearward movement. It will further be observed that when the rails D are in their forward position they bear on the rails A of the main track and the bars or rails O and against the abutments b of the latter, and their weight is taken off the antifrictionrollers.

In order to lock the rails D in their forward position, and thereby provide a perfectly safe track across the main track, we provide the means best shown in Figs. 1, 4E, and 7. Said means comprises transverse inclined planes extending upwardly and outwardly below the flared ends CL of the rails 13, locking-bars 2, having antifriction-rollers j, movable on said inclined planes and also having tongues 70, arranged to take over the bases of the rails D when said rails are in the position shown in Fig. 3 and into apertures or recesses Z in the webs of the rails, levers m n, connected with the locking-bars v1, abarp, interposed between and connected to said levers, a bellcrank lever q, Fig. 7, a rod r, connecting one of the arms of said bell-crank lever and the lever m, a hand-lever s, mounted on the tower or support M, and a rod t, connecting the other arm of the bell-crank lever and the hand-lever. In virtue of this construction it will be seen that when the rails D are in the position shown in Fig. 3 and the handle of the lever s is depressed the locking-bars 6 will be moved outwardly and their tongues caused to enter the apertures l in ther ails D, with the result that said rails will be securely held against movement; also, that when the handle of the lever sis raised the lockingbars will be moved inwardly and out ofengagement with the rails D, leaving said rails free to be returned to the position shown in Fig. 1 throughthe medium of the mechanism before described.

We have entered into a detailed descrip tion of the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in thepresent and preferred embodiment of our invention in order to im parta full, clear, and exact understanding of the same. o do not desire, however, to be understood as confining ourselves to such specific construction and arrangement of parts, as such changes or modifications may be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope of our invention as claimed.

Having described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1S

1. The combination in a railway-crossing, of a permanently continuous or unbroken main track, tracks arranged at opposite sides of and disposed at an angle to said main track, and rails movable endwise'between the rails of one of the latter tracks and across the main track, and also movable laterally to connect the rails at opposite sides of the main track.

2. The combination in a railway-crossing, of a permanently continuous or unbroken main track, tracks arranged at opposite sides of and disposed at an angle to said continuous or unbroken main track, and rails connected together and movable between the rails of one of the latter tracks, and across the main track to connect the tracks at opposite sides of the same.

3. The combination in a railway-crossing, of a permanently continuous or unbroken main track, tracks arranged at opposite sides of and disposed at an angle to said continuous or unbroken main track, rails movable between the rails of one of the latter tracks, and across the main track, means connecting the movable rails, and means arranged to coact with the connecting means, and force the movable rails outwardly when said rails are moved across the main track.

4. The combination in a railway-crossing, of a permanently continuous or unbroken main track, tracks arranged at opposite sides of and disposed at an angle to said continuous or unbroken main track, and having the ends of their rails adjacent thereto flared, rails movable between the rails of one of the latter tracks, and across the main track, and having the outer sides of their end portions beveled,means connecting said movable rails, and means arranged to coact ,with the connecting means, and force the movable rails outwardly when said rails are moved across the main track.

a 5. The combination in a railway-crossing,

' of a permanently continuous or unbroken main track, tracks arranged at opposite sides of and disposed at an angle to said main track, rails, movable endwise between the rails of one of the latter tracks and across the main track, and also movable laterally 6. The combination in a railway-crossing, of a main track, tracks disposed at opposite sides of the main track, rails movable between the rails of one of the latter tracks, and across the main track, a stop arranged between the rails of the other of said tracks, and means disposed between and connected with opposite ends of the movable rails; said means being arranged to engage the stop when the movable rails are moved across the main track, and force the opposite ends of said movable rails outwardly.

7. The combination in a railway-crossing, of a main track, tracks disposed at opposite sides of the main track, rails movable between the rails of one of the latter tracks, and across the main track, and a rail guidin g or spreading means arranged between the rails of the other of said tracks, for moving the forward ends of the movable rails outwardly when said movable rails are moved across the main track.

8. The combination in a railway-crossing, of a main track, tracks disposed at opposite sides of the main track, rails movable between the rails of one of the latter tracks, and across the main track, a stop arranged between the rails of the other of said tracks, rail guiding or spreading means disposed at opposite sides of the stop, and means disposed between and connected with opposite ends of the movable rails; said means being arranged to engage the stop when the movable rails are moved across the maintrack, and force the opposite ends of said movable rails outwardly.

9. The combination in a railway-crossing, of a main track, tracks arranged at opposite sides of the main track, and disposed at an angle thereto, rails movable endwise between the rails of one of the latter tracks and across the main track, a longitudinal bar arranged between the movable rails, levers connected to said bar and the movable rails adjacent to the forward and rear ends thereof, and a stop arranged to engage said longitudinal bar when the movable rails are moved across the main track.

10. The combination in a railway-crossing, of a main track, tracks arranged at opposite sides of the main track, and disposed at an angle thereto, rails movable endwise between the rails of one of the latter tracks and across the main track, a longitudinal bar arranged between the movable rails, levers connected to said bar and the movable rails adjacent to the forward and rear ends thereof, a stop arranged to engage said longitudinal bar when the movable rails are moved across the main track, and rail guides or spreaders arranged at opposite sides of the stop.

11. The combination in a railway-crossing, of a main track, tracks arranged at opposite sides of and disposed at an angle to the main track, antifriction-rollers disposed slightly above the rails of the main track, and having tapered ends, and rails movable endwise between the rails of the track at one side of the main track. and across the main track, on the afitifriction-rollers, and also movable latera y.

12. The combination in a railway-crossing, of a main track, tracks arranged at opposite sides of the main track and having the ends of their rails adjacent thereto flared, rails movable between the rails of one of the latter tracks and across the main track, and having beveled ends, inclined planes disposed transversely below the flared ends of the rails of one of the tracks at the sides of the main track, locking-bars movable on said inclined planes, and arranged to engage the movable rails when the latter are in their forward position, means for moving the movable rails, and means for moving the locking-bars.

13. The combination in a railway-crossing, of a main track, tracks arranged at opposite sides of the main track and having the ends of their rails adjacent thereto flared, rails movable between the rails of one of the latter tracks and across the main track, and having beveled ends, inclined planes disposed transversely below the flared ends of the rails of one of the tracks at the sides of the main track, locking-bars movable on said inclined planes, and arranged to engage the movable rails when the latter are in their forward position, a longitudinal bar disposed between the movable rails, levers connecting said bar and said rails, a stop arranged to engage the longitudinal bar, rail guides or spreaders arranged to engage the movable rails, means connected with the longitudinal bar, for moving the movable rails, and means connected with the locking-bars for moving said bars.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT H. LEWIS. ALBERT G. QUIMBY. CHARLES T. HARLOW. JAMES C. SHIELDS. Witnesses:

J. LESLIE HILLYER,. D. I. THOMPSON. 

